My case study encompasses pulmonary embolism and saddle pulmonary embolism. The patient I chose was a woman who had just given birth without complications during labor, but had developed a pulmonary embolism that later turned out to be a saddle pulmonary embolism. I did not know before this clinical study, pulmonary embolism is one of the leading causes of death among pregnant women in developed countries. A pulmonary embolism is a sudden blockage of a pulmonary artery. The blockage is usually caused by a blood clot that travels to the lungs from the leg vein. A clot that forms in one part of the body and travels through the bloodstream to another part of the body is called an embolism (NAT13). Pulmonary embolism is a serious condition that can damage your lungs due to lack of blood flow to your lung tissues, which can lead to pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension is an increase in pressure in the pulmonary artery. PE can also cause low oxygen levels in your blood and damage other organs in your body due to a lack of oxygen. If a blood clot is very large, it can cause death. A pulmonary embolism may also be called a venous thromboembolism. A PE usually begins with the formation of a clot in a deep vein in the leg, called deep vein thrombosis. This clot can break and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs and block the artery. Blood clots can form in the deep veins of the legs if blood flow is restricted and slows. This can happen when you don't move for long periods of time. Certain types of surgery, during a long car or plane trip, and if you have to stay in bed for an extended period of time, can be the cause. In rare circumstances, an air bubble, part of a tumor, or other tissue travels to the lungs and causes...... middle of paper ...... you should take baby aspirin (81 mg). The sooner a patient takes preventive measures, the less they have to worry about taking other medications such as warfarin, which cause many unwanted side effects such as excessive bleeding. Patients should continually check their legs for signs and symptoms of DVT. Works Cited Hess Dean R., MN (2012). Respiratory Care: Principles and Practices, 12th Edition. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. Jl, W. (2011). Pulmonary embolism. Goldman's Cecil Medicine, 24th edition, 1-4. Mattu, A. (2010). PE during pregnancy: a complicated diagnosis. Medscape, 1-3. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2013). What is pulmonary embolism? News and resources, 5.Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. (2010). Outcomes of saddle pulmonary embolism: a nested case-control study. International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, 867-869.